UNITING THE BUILT & NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

I have just begun Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)by Tom Vanderbilt and I’m already hooked. He thus far has tagged just about every bad driving habit I’ve ever adopted and puts the act of driving to work into frightening and fascinating perspective. Which leads me to think about the role landscape architects can play in minimizing bad behaviors through the use of natural design. Is it possible, in the face of the conflicts inherent in human nature, for streetscapes and transportation corridors to use design and nature to eliminate or at least alleviate traffic woes? If so, what does it look like? I think of the Taconic Parkway in New York State. A seriously beautiful road that drivers nonetheless want to treat like I-95. I should know. It’s the site of my one and only speeding ticket.